Remarkable deal – The Hindu

Our thanks to Richard Pavlicek, from Florida, for bringing this remarkable deal to our attention. Pavlicek has long been one of the USA’s top players and teachers and has contributed to bridge on many levels. This deal was played, according to Pavlicek, in an unsophisticated bridge game where a bid of four no trump was always Blackwood. South discovered that partner had no aces – not a surprise – and one king, obviously the king of spades. Even if North held one of the missing jacks, thirteen tricks would not be certain, so South settled for six no trump.

South won the opening spade lead with his ace, cashed three top hearts, and exited with a heart to East’s jack. East shifted accurately to a low diamond – the slam could be made on a club shift – and South bravely played his 10. That got him to 11 tricks, but he had to give East a club trick later and settled for down one. A maddening result! Even worse, Pavlicek tells us that North-South can make a grand slam in each of the four suits, just not in no trump. Seven spades will make on a trump coup with any lead but a trump. Seven of a red suit makes by ruffing the 10 of the other red suit, taking the club finesse, and then finessing for the jack of trumps. We’ll leave it to interested readers to work out the play in seven clubs.